Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, lies in the historical and ethnographic region of Shopluk – a mountainous area straddling the borders of the present-day Serbia, Bulgaria and Macedonia. The inhabitants of the region – Shopi – who consider themselves to be the true and ethnically most pure of the Bulgarians, today constitute the population of villages scattered around the capital. Their very original and characteristic folklore, preserved over centuries with the aid of their distinct South Slavic dialects, has given rise to many recognizable and extant hallmarks, like the well-known Shopska salad.
The Children’s Dance Ensemble PLAMACHE was established in 2007. Despite its short history, the ensemble has given more than 120 concerts and performances during cultural events in Bulgaria. At present, more than 250 children and youngsters aged 4-20 are trained in PLAMACHE.
At the Festival the ensemble will present a medley of dances, games, traditions and rites from the Shopska region, such as carolling performed by sourvakari – boys who would visit homes on the Christmas day, offering wishes for health and prosperity, songs and blessings, in exchange being presented with dried fruit and popcorn; spring games played in the Lent period between Mardi Gras and Easter; petleta, a game in which boys imitate roosters; a traditional procession of Lazaruvane performed by young girls called lazarki on Lazarus Saturday before Palm Sunday. The program has been prepared on the basis of folk publications dated 1889-1908, as well as video recordings of the Institute of Folklore at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia.
Ivailo Parvanov is the artistic director of PLAMACHE; Ralitsa Parvanova and Milena Tsankova are the choreographers; and Ivan Mechkarov is the band’s leader. The band will be playing a gadulka (a pear-shaped, violin-like string instrument), a kaval (a shepherd’s flute), a gaida (bagpipes), a tambura (a long-necked, plucked string instrument), a tupan (a double-headed drum played with a wooden mallet called kayak and a thin stick called drobenka).
The Children’s Dance Ensemble PLAMACHE was established in 2007. Despite its short history, the ensemble has given more than 120 concerts and performances during cultural events in Bulgaria. At present, more than 250 children and youngsters aged 4-20 are trained in PLAMACHE.
At the Festival the ensemble will present a medley of dances, games, traditions and rites from the Shopska region, such as carolling performed by sourvakari – boys who would visit homes on the Christmas day, offering wishes for health and prosperity, songs and blessings, in exchange being presented with dried fruit and popcorn; spring games played in the Lent period between Mardi Gras and Easter; petleta, a game in which boys imitate roosters; a traditional procession of Lazaruvane performed by young girls called lazarki on Lazarus Saturday before Palm Sunday. The program has been prepared on the basis of folk publications dated 1889-1908, as well as video recordings of the Institute of Folklore at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia.
Ivailo Parvanov is the artistic director of PLAMACHE; Ralitsa Parvanova and Milena Tsankova are the choreographers; and Ivan Mechkarov is the band’s leader. The band will be playing a gadulka (a pear-shaped, violin-like string instrument), a kaval (a shepherd’s flute), a gaida (bagpipes), a tambura (a long-necked, plucked string instrument), a tupan (a double-headed drum played with a wooden mallet called kayak and a thin stick called drobenka).